The Biliary Pump (Gallbladder)

The more I have learned about the gallbladder the more I'm convinced that it is much more than just a bile storage tank as doctors often refer to it.

Perhaps a better term for the gallbladder is biliary pump or biliary heart. I think part of it's function is to draw bile out of the liver that would other wise become stagnant and form stones.

No doubt, the gallbladder responds to fat intake and helps to pump out toxins as well. It's role in recruitment of fats for synthesis of cell membranes of new cells makes it important in proper spleen function since immune cells have the highest turnover rate in the body. The proper ratio of lipids for maturation of immune cells is critical for spleen function.

The gallbladder produces mucous from its walls, which in all likelihood is important in digestion or bile mobility.

It also, in my opinion, sets up a digestive wave in the intestine, by secretion of bile, that ensures a proper bowel movement. In this way, I think it helps to control the timing and consistency of BMs - very important for colon health. Of course, by providing concetrated bile at a moments notice it allows efficient absorbtion of food.

Gallstones, in my opinion, should instead be called biliary stones since they can form anywhere in the biliary network, the liver, the common bile duct or the gallbladder. This would help doctors since it would alleviate the notion that taking out the gallbladder cures Gallstones or anything else.

It's not just a storage tank, it's a specialized secretory organ and deserves a bit more respect than it gets.

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